BRITAIN will grind to a halt within weeks as the most savage freeze for a century begins.

Temperatures will fall as low as minus 20C in rural
areas, forecasters warned last night, while heavy snow and “potentially
dangerous” blizzards will close roads and cripple rail networks.

James
Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said: “We are looking at some of
the coldest and snowiest conditions in at least 100 years. This is most
likely to occur in the December to January period with the potential
for widespread major snowfall across the country.

“Parts of the North, Scotland and eastern England are likely to experience a run of well below average temperatures, which will include some potentially dangerous blizzard conditions at times.”

He warned the South faces a bout of “unusually heavy snowfall” in December.

Leon Brown, meteorologist for The Weather Channel,
said snow could arrive within days.

Jonathan Powell, of Vantage Weather Services said the worst of the big freeze would hit in January and February when winter delivers a vicious sting in the tail.

“We are looking at January and early February for winter to really bare its teeth," he said.

"Extreme low temperatures in rural areas, especially in the North where minus 20C is not unlikely, with the possibility of significant snow events.”

Britain’s “roller coaster” November has so far seen freezing temperatures followed by almost spring-like conditions, then heavy rain, flooding and gales. Temperatures rose by 22C in just 24 hours as milder weather triggered heavy rain in Scotland and the North.

Temperatures topped 61F (16C) in England, while parts of Scotland enjoyed their warmest November day since 2001. Just a day earlier Aboyne in Aberdeenshire shivered in minus 6.1C.